Brandon Marshall led the Broncos in tackles in 2014 and finished second in 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

The Broncos will use a second-round tender on restricted free agent Brandon Marshall that is worth $2.553 million for 2016.

Marshall, who is expected to generate interest from Miami and Seattle, can sign an offer sheet with another team when free agency begins, but the Broncos have the right to match. Should they choose not to, they will receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.

In a photo provided by Michigan State University, Michigan State offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr., facing camera, takes part in spring football practice Thursday, April 7, 2011, in East Lansing, Mich., after being cleared to practice by the NCAA, four years after being diagnosed with leg cancer. (Michigan State University, Matthew Mitchell, Michigan State University via AP)

The road to the NFL draft is paved with inspirational stories of players who overcame heady obstacles to reach their ultimate goals.

But some of the best stories occur when the draft’s spotlights have been turned off.

Take the tale of Arthur Ray Jr. The former Fort Lewis offensive lineman was invited by the Miami Dolphins to a tryout later this week at their rookie minicamp in Florida. Sure, a Division II player getting the crack at an NFL job is noteworthy.

But Ray, who started his career at Michigan State, didn’t just overcome the lack of exposure of playing in Durango. He has already overcome bone cancer, surviving nine surgeries to ward off the disease that threatened to take his left leg.

Garrett Grayson throws during his pro day at CSU on Monday. (Jenny Sparks, Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson, whom many NFL analysts have rated among the top five QB prospects in this year’s draft, worked out for 16 scouts from 12 NFL teams at CSU’s indoor practice facility on Monday during his pro day.

According to The Coloradoan’s Kelly Lyell, the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers both had two scouts attending Grayson’s workout, while the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets and St. Louis Rams also had scouts there.

Grayson, who didn’t participate in the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month because of an injured hamstring, completed 70 of 74 throws and, according to Lyell, posted unofficial 40-yard dash times of 4.72 and 4.76. Gray’s 40 times would have placed him seventh among quarterbacks at the combine; Marcus Mariota of Oregon posted a combine-best time of 4.52 among quarterbacks.

“There was some people out there that said I’d be lucky to run a 5-flat (40),” Grayson said. “I’m happy with what I ran. Like I said, quarterbacks don’t get paid to run 40s. I don’t know how many 40s Tom Brady has ran, but he’s won four Super Bowls.”

With rookie Isaiah Burse now on the waiver wire, the Denver Broncos will have slot receiver Wes Welker serve as their primary punt returner Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Welker has the most experience as he returned punts for the Miami Dolphins from 2004-06, and regularly for the New England Patriots from 2007-2009 and again in 2012. He had 10 punt returns for the Broncos last season.

Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware is expected to play Sunday. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware fell ill Saturday and was sent home before practice. Ware will be added to the injury report and listed as probable, meaning he is expected to play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

Ware has 9.0 sacks through 10 games and ranks 15th all-time with 126.0 in his career. One more sack would move him past the late Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas for 14th place.

It all stems back to the 2013-14 incident with his former Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin. Here’s a recap in case you forgot how Incognito became one of the most infamous players in the NFL: Read more…

The Press Box on Monday morning found time to touch on the Broncos’ situation at running back. With Knowshon Moreno signing with the Miami Dolphins in March after five seasons in Denver, Montee Ball enters his second NFL season as Denver’s starting running back — for now.

“Will Montee Ball be able to replace Knowshon Moreno?” asked Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla. The Press Box team of Kiszla, Peter Burns and Oren Lomena discussed the matter as well as the appearance by Ball — a former star with the Wisconsin Badgers — at the Final Four wearing … a frog suit?

Wes Welker is attended to on the field during the Broncos’ 27-17 victory over the Chiefs. The team later announced he suffered a concussion. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Not since the 1998 Miami Dolphins has a team faced a more difficult three-game stretch, in terms of opponents’ record, this late in the season like the one the 2013 Broncos have faced in the past three weeks.

Counting this week’s game at Kansas City, the Broncos last three opponents had a combined 25-5 record entering the game. The Chiefs were 9-0 two weeks ago. New England was 7-3 entering play last Sunday. The Chiefs are 9-2 entering play Sunday at Arrowhead.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau this is the most difficult three-game stretch a team has played in November or later since the 1998 Dolphins faced the 9-4 Jets, 13-1 Broncos and 13-2 Falcons.

The Dolphins went 1-2 in their stretch with their coming against the Broncos. The 2013 Broncos are 1-1 two-thirds through their three-game gauntlet.

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If you look closely at the Broncos’ regular-season schedule this year, you’ll notice they play sets of non-division games against the NFC East (New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Mike Shanahan’s Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles) and the AFC South (Indianapolis, Tennessee, Houston, Jacksonville).

According to the NFL Record and Fact Book, the Broncos next year will play non-division sets against the AFC East (Yes, another game against New England, plus Miami, New York Jets and Buffalo) and NFC West (San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona).

Pay attention, then, to the Broncos’ preseason schedule this year when they play San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona.

The Broncos, on the strength of their spectacular second-half comeback at San Diego and Sunday night whipping of the New Orleans Saints, have seen their odds of becoming AFC champions improve to 4-to-1, according to the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

That’s better than the Pittsburgh Steelers (11 to 2) and Baltimore Ravens (11 to 1).

In all, 40 players who were waived off rosters on Friday found new teams on Saturday.

Included in the 40 who found new jobs were safety Rafael Bush, who was waived by the Broncos and claimed by New Orleans, and former Broncos tight end Richard Quinn, who was waived by the Washington Redskins and claimed by the Dallas Cowboys.

No team re-set their 53-man roster roster more than the Miami Dolphins, who were awarded four players off waivers: WR Anthony Armstrong, LB Sammy Brown and DB’s Troy Nolan and R.J. Stanford. Wouldn’t that be a bad sign to add so many players cut from others?

The Broncos are doing their part to honor the late Junior Seau as the faces of the franchise are planning to attend the “celebration of life” memorial service for the former San Diego Chargers linebacker Friday evening at Qualcomm Stadium.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is donating use of his private plane so a Broncos contingent expected to include football operations boss John Elway, quarterback Peyton Manning, head coach John Fox and defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely can attend Seau’s memorial.

Seau, 43, took his own life last week. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler in his 13 seasons with the Chargers from 1990-2002. He also played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and three more with the New England Patriots.

FoxSport’s Jay Glazer reported today that the Miami Dolphins traded Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears in exchange for two third round picks. The trade reunites Marshall with Jay Cutler. The wide receiver and quarterback were both members of Denver’s blockbuster 2006 draft class (a group that also included Elvis Dumervil, Chris Kuper and Tony Scheffler).

I have talked to people close to the Peyton Manning situation and the expectation as of today is the bidding war will come down to Mike Shanahan’s Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins.

The New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks will also make a run, as well up to three or four others.

The Broncos will not be in the bidding, although where Manning lands will create a domino affect that could affect which free-agent quarterback Denver does sign to back up Tim Tebow.

Indirectly, Manning was a reason why Shanahan decided to move away from quarterback Jake Plummer following the Broncos’ AFC championship game loss in the 2005 season. Losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in the conference championship left Shanahan and his coaching staff with the consolation prize of coaching the AFC Pro Bowl team in Hawaii.

The Broncos on Monday learned who they’ll face next season, home and away, after the NFL released each team’s opponents. The full schedule with days and times will be released later, likely in the spring.

But the Broncos, coming off an 8-8 season as AFC West champs, will face another tough slate next season, including games against the Steelers, Saints, Ravens and Patriots.

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Cassius Vaughn and Rahim Moore will have their playing time reduced in favor of Jonathan Wilhite and Quinton Carter, at least at the start of the Broncos game here today against the Miami Dolphins.

Carter will start alongside Brian Dawkins as the Broncos’ safeties. It’s clear defensive tackle Dennis Allen wants better tackling from his back end. Vaughn had started the first five games at left cornerback, but Champ Bailey will stay outside at left cornerback while Wilhite will take the nickel position.

Wilhite had been the nickel for the three games that Bailey was down with a hamstring injury; Vaughn and Bailey played last week, with Bailey at the nickel, in the previous game against San Diego when Wilhite was down with a week-long virus.

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Do the Dolphins deserve the typical home-field edge on the betting lines? The Dolphins went 1-7 in games at home last season, and are 0-2 at home this year. And Sunday’s crowd could be much more pro-Broncos than normal because the home team is honoring the 2008 Florida national championship team — which we all know was led by Broncos new starter Tim Tebow.

Of course, the line could be favoring the Dolphins because the Broncos haven’t exactly been successful on the road. They won once away from Denver last year (at Tennessee the first week of October) and have lost both of their road games this season. The Broncos are 0-7 in road games against the Dolphins.

Kyle Orton has one year left on his Broncos contract. Is that enough time to reach the playoffs?

The Denver Post on Thursday will release a 16-page Broncos and NFL preview, breaking down team needs and John Elway’s vision for where the team will head. Find it in a special print section and online at denverpost.com/broncos.

The Chargers were one of the most active teams in free agency, signing 13 veteran players. Before the 2010 season, the Chargers signed only five veteran free agents. If they get a contribution from safety Bob Sanders (age 30) and linebacker Takeo Spikes (34), the Chargers will return to their familiar perch atop the division. Prediction: 10-6

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs took a slow, steady approach to training camp this year. That strategy will be beneficial if they stay healthier than their AFC brethren. The bigger issue for the defending division champions is the constant rumblings that coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli are butting heads — a sure recipe for failure over the long haul. Prediction: 8-8

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.